Aerial Contagion: Redefining Airborne Pathogens

⁤The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently announced a revision of its classification of airborne pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, after criticism of delayed recognition during the pandemic. ⁤⁤The WHO’s technical report replaces the previous three categories of viral transmission airborne, droplet, and aerosol, with “infectious respiratory particles”. ⁤⁤However, experts argue the term “through the air” is vague preferring “airborne” to describe transmission. ⁤⁤Despite debates, an overall agreement on the report’s importance for future pandemics was achieved amongst experts, as the refinement in classification enables early implementation of appropriate preventive measures based on the specific way the pathogen travels. ⁤⁤Terminological debates aside, the focus shifts towards understanding effective interventions and their empirical evidence. ⁤

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[Source: Nature, April 24, 2024]